1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices for removing stumps and trees and more particularly, to a stump cutting apparatus for removing stumps and trees from a water body. The stump cutting apparatus includes a watercraft such as a barge-mounted boom connected to a pair of hydraulic barge cylinders and having a boom linkage for raising and lowering the extending end of the boom. A cylindrical rotating cutting blade is mounted on a pair of mount plates attached to the boom linkage along with a spacer plate, for fixing the spacer plates in spaced parallel orientation, such that the boom linkage is operable to maintain the cutting blade and spacer bar in horizontal, parallel relationship regardless of the depth of the cutting blade and spacer bar in the water. A stabilizing arm is pivotally attached to the mount plates and includes a stabilizing blade designed to engage a tree or stump to be cut as the cutting blade begins the cutting operation. The stabilizing arm is secured to the pistons of a pair of arm hydraulic cylinders, the cylinder ends of which are attached to the respective mount plates and the arm hydraulic cylinders facilitate pivoting of the stabilizing arm blade and stabilizing arm toward the barge as the stabilizing arm blade maintains contact with the stump or tree being cut while the rotating cutting blade cuts through the stump or tree. The boom linkage includes a pair of boom arms extending from the barge in pivoting relationship and a pair of linkage arms projecting in parallel, substantially horizontal relationship with respect to the boom arms to facilitate automatic alignment of the cutting drum and spacer plate as the boom is lowered to the desired depth for cutting of a tree or stump.
One of the problems realized in removing stumps and trees from water bodies is that of designing an apparatus which will quickly, easily, conveniently and reliably cut the stumps and trees well below the waterline in an economical manner. The drive system must be waterproof, the cutting system designed to cut through heavy cypress, oak and other stumps and trees of varying diameter and the barge or other watercraft to which the cutting system is mounted must be designed to facilitate sufficient cutting pressure for positioning with respect to the stump or tree to be cut to allow efficient cutting.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various apparatus are known in the art for cutting trees and stumps. A "Stump Eradicator" is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,041,996, dated Aug. 16, 1977, to Ross D. Grovero The apparatus includes a rotary cylinder or drum having knives or cutters around its periphery. The cutters are mounted on rings which encircle the drum and the rings have circumferentially-spaced mounting surfaces which are staggered relative to one another so that the cutters, when secured to the mounting surfaces, are themselves staggered for more effective cutting action. The drum is supported by two rotary hydraulic and/or electric motors having aligned output shafts which are connected to the ends of the drum to support and rotate it. The motors are carried by the arms of a yoke and instead of two motors, there may be a motor at one end of the drum and a bearing at the other. U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,126, dated Oct. 27, 1992, to William J. Lang, details "Improvements in Tree Stump Grinders and Methods of Grinding Tree Stumps". The tree stump grinder is adapted to be attached to a backhoe or an excavator with a boom and a stick and includes a yoke which is pivotally secured to the stick. A hydraulic grinder swing cylinder is provided to pivot the yoke relative to the stick and fixed stub shafts are secured to the arms of the yoke. Circular end plates are attached to the respective hubs and one hub is rotatably journalled on one stub shaft and the other hub is similarly mounted on the other stub shaft. A hydraulic motor is fixed to one stub shaft and drives the other hub and a grinder drum is attached to the circular end plates and encloses the hydraulic motor. Oil is supplied to the hydraulic motor through passages in one of the stub shafts and multiple block and bit assemblies are attached to the outside surface of the grinder drum. An anchor assembly is also pivotally attached to the stick and a hydraulic anchor cylinder is connected to the stick and the anchor assembly for pivoting the anchor assembly relative to the stick. Hydraulic fluid is supplied to rotate the grinder drum and position the anchor assembly and the yoke. Another stump eradicator is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,107, dated Dec. 25, 1979, to Ross D. Grover. The apparatus includes a rotary cylinder or drum having knives or teeth around its periphery. The teeth include both cutter teeth and chipper teeth and the primary purpose of the chipper teeth is to "hog out" and remove the fibrous wood material. The primary purpose of the cutter teeth is to break up, cut or slit the fibers so that they may be more easily "hogged out" by the chipper teeth. U.S. Pat. No. 3,667,515, dated Jun. 6, 1972, to Robert J. Corey, details a "Pile Cutting Device". The device includes a base having a guide adapted for reception of a pile, the base being adapted for reciprocal movement with respect to the pile. Connectors attached to the base for suspending the base in a substantially horizontal plane are also included, along with a blade having a pair of opposite extremities, one of the extremities being pivotally mounted to the base. An actuator having a fixed member and a movable member is also provided, the fixed member being pivoted to the base and the movable member pivotally mounted to the other extremity of the blade, also swept across the guide when the actuator is engaged and retracted away from the guide when the actuator is disengaged. When the pile cutter is lowered to the base of a pile, the guide is positioned about the pile for restricting the lateral movement of the base with respect to the pile and the actuator is engaged, causing the blade to shear the pile at its base. U.S. Pat. No. 3,719,116, dated Mar. 6, 1973, to Cyril Burton, et al, details an "Underwater Saw For Tree and Stump Removal". The underwater component is connected to a surface vessel by means of a flexible connection which includes an anchor cable, hydraulic lines, control lines, television and light connections. The device includes hydraulically-operated propellers for controlling the attitude and position of the cutter assembly, a television camera and light source for viewing the underwater scene from the surface vessel and a pair of saw blades rotating in a horizontal plane by hydraulic motors to cut trees and stumps under the water. U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,047, dated Dec. 25, 1979, to George H. Bertelson, details an "Above and Below Water and Land Pile Cutting Apparatus and Method". The device includes a main frame which is quadrangular in transverse cross-section and is shaped to receive the pile to be cut. The upper portion of the main frame carries an extensible, pile-gripping clamp apparatus and the center portion carries four circular saws, each mounted on a carriage fitted for transverse reciprocation. The lower portion of the frame carries an additional pile-gripping, extensible clamping apparatus. U.S. Pat. No. 4,271,879, dated Jun. 9, 1981, to Norman E. Shivers, Jr. et al, details a "Hydraulic Stump Cutting and Digging Apparatus". The device includes a balanced main supporting frame of a vehicle member and an adjustable telescopic channel frame cutter boom, the boom including a forward, centrally-disposed, rotatable cutting wheel having multiple, radially-extending cutting teeth circumferentially mounted thereon. The channel frame cutter boom further includes a hydraulic motor contiguously mounted with the cutting wheel and having a common axis for rotation. A double pump and motor for circulation of hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic components of the apparatus is mounted on the main supporting frame, thus providing a telescopic cutter boom which is lighter in weight and more accessible to tighter places than conventional hydraulic stump cutters. In one embodiment the adjustable, telescopic channel frame cutter boom is provided with flexible side flaps which permit the removal of tree stumps situated close to permanent obstructions, yet provides a protective means for controlling cut material through the channel frame of the boom.
It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved stump cutting apparatus which may be mounted on a land vehicle or watercraft such as a barge and configured to cut submerged stumps and trees at a selected depth.
Another object of this invention is to provide a barge-mounted stump cutting apparatus which includes rotating cutting drum pivotally mounted on one end of a boom linkage apparatus for automatically orienting the cutting assembly in proper cutting position, which boom linkage apparatus is hydraulically pivoted with respect to the barge to submerge the cutting assembly.
Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved, barge-mounted stump cutting apparatus which includes a rotating cutting drum attached to one end of a boom linkage apparatus pivotally attached to the barge, with a hydraulically-operated stabilizing arm pivotally attached to the cutting assembly frame for engaging a submerged stump or tree and stabilizing the cutting drum as the cutting drum cuts the stump or tree beneath the surface of the water at a selected depth.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved stump cutting apparatus which is mounted on a barge by means of a hydraulically-actuated boom and boom linkage, and includes a cutting assembly fitted with a rotating cutting drum having fixed or removable drum teeth thereon, a hydraulically-actuated stabilizing arm pivotally secured to the cutting assembly frame and having a blade for engaging the stump or tree at a selected depth determined by the boom position and stabilizing the stump or tree while the cutting drum cuts through the stump or tree at the selected depth.